Refrigerating system



Filed Nov. l0, 1925 ATTORNEYS atented Dec. 3, 192g NETED STATES GLENN'FABER ZELLHOEFER, 0F BLODMLNG'TON, ILLINOIS BEFRIGERALTINE- SYSTEMApplication tiled November 1 0, 1925. Serial No. 66,083.

The invention relates to a refrigerating system and to a method ofrefrigerating. ore specically it relates to such a system or methodwherein a cooling effect is produced by means of a salt having anegative heat oi solution, that is, a salt which-produces' a chillingeiect when dissolved .m a solvent. Any salt which has a negative heat oisolution may be emplo ed and in the same it manner any liquid that 1s asolvent for the salt employed ma be used. Potassium sul.-1 phoc anate isa sa t having a negative heat ci" solution and this bein soluble inwater, is givenas an example o the use of a conveniu ient lsalt andsolvent.

eirigerating systems as at present employed consist of ammonia plantsused in ice mahng, or in the household devices operated by electricitand in which a gas such as sultt phur dioxi e is alternately compressedand en ended., In the use of such devices more or Eess of the gas may belost, and the loss may decrease the ecienc of the plant and may alsocause objections le fumes in the atmosllll phere. Moreover, ower such aselectricity is not always avai able in all places where it is desired toinstall an iceless system of rel irigeration.,

The above objections to the systems now in t@ use are well recognizedand attem ts have been made to overcome the same. o far as the inventoris aware the devices which have been constructed to overcome theseobjections have not heretofore been found practical.

din object of the present invention is to provide a method of andapparatus for reirigerating which avoids the use of ice or an enpansiblegas. ,Y

lt is a further object to provide such a method and structure as willpermit the use oi a normally solid composition, such as a. salt.

lt is also an object oi the invention to provide-a method ofrefrigerating and an appa- 'lili .py ratus wherein a salt or mixture maybe al ternately dissolved and substantially dried,

whereby a continuous cooling eiiect may be produced..

A further object oi the invention is to pro te vide that the dryingoperation may take place at a place more or less remote from the ointwhere the reirigeratin effect is exerted An embodiment of t e inventionis shown in the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section of anillustrative form of the 5v apparatus.

In the drawing, as shown, the refrigerating compartment is representedby dotted lines. An desired compartment may be employed, an the samedoes not form a. part of the te invention. While it may, in someinstances, be desirable to include the whole assembly in a singlehousing, it is usually more conven ient to arrange the heating andcondensing means, to be described, at points external to w the chamberas shown. As shown in the drawin numeral 1 indicates a chamber in whicht e solution of the salt or salt mixture is placed and in which thedrying operation is effected. Heat is applied to this chamber w by anyconvenient means, a conventional burner being shown. An outlet 2 isprovided for removal of the substantially water free salt, which saltwill be melted by the heat and in a condition whichwill permit of its'la flowing. In the exam le given, potassium sulphocyanate, the me tingpoint is about i60o C. A condenser 3 causes the condensation of thesteam evolved from the va f orization of the water in the chamber 1.urther ao cooling of the condensed water is eiected in a jacketenclosing the coils 4, the cooled water then flowing through the tubesor pipes 5, 6 and 7.

A chamber 16, shown as an extension of ne the pipe 6, is providedthrough which the salt or mixture drops from the outlet 2 and isdelivered through pipe 6 to ipe 7. A water jacket is shown as surrouning the chamber 16. This chamber contains a mineral oil in ne aboutsufcient quantit to corres ond in length to the length of t ie water jeeetn In order to obtain the chilling" effect, a pipe or coil 8 is set inthe refrigerating compartment, this coil 8 being shown as a tortuousextension ce of the pipey'l' and also connected to the coil 4 abovereferred to. A. iiow circuit is there# by obtained which permits of thecomplete circulation of the refrigeratin medium.

Batlle plates are shown in t e chamber 1, 10u

these plates being of decreasing height from the inlet tothe outlet endof the chamber. An additional baffle 10, situated near the outlet end,serves as a trap to prevent steam from reaching the cooling chamber 16.A tube 14 connects the outlet end, adjacent to the chamber 16, with thecondenser 3 in order to equalize any difference in pressure as may ariseon opposite sides of the baf'fie plate 10.

A source of heat is provided in order to effect or assist thecirculation of the solution, any desired means, such as a burner 12,being employed. It is desirable that the heat applied to the chamber lbe maintained at approXimately the melting point of the salt or mixtureemployed. In the case of potassium sulphocyanate the melting point isabout 160 C. In order to control the temperature, a thermostat 18 isplaced in the chamber 1 and near the outlet end 2, this thermostat beingset, in this case, for a range ottemperature between 155-160 C. and soregulating the heating efl'ect of the burner 12, and thereby deliver thesolution to the chamber 1 at about the temperature of the melting pointof the salt.

A solution of potassium sulphocyanate is introduced in the system, theamount of water being substantially that as will not cause an overflowin the chamber 1 when the system is functioning. The burners are lightedand steam Vis evolved in the chamber 1. Such steam is conducted to thecondenser 3 and therein condensed, the Water so formed being returnedthrough the Water jacket surrounding. the coil 4 and so to the pipe 7 asabove described.

The vaporization of the water 'from the solution in the chamber 1 causesa concentration and a drying of the sulphocyanate solution. Instead ofsolidifying, the salt is retained in a liquid state by reason of thefact that the temperature maintained is that of the melting point ofthesalt. This salt, in a liquid state, is carried off by the outlet 2and 'drops into the mineral oil in the chamber 16.

As this column of oil is cooled by the surroundingwater jacket, thetemperature is low enough to cause the solidification of the salt whichdrops into the pipes 6 and 7. Here the salt redissolves in the water,returned from pipe 5, and in going into solution gives up its heat andthereby produces a refrigerating action.

The heat applied by the burner 12 both aids in the circulation of thesolution and raises the temperature to a point where the water willreadily vaporize on entering the .chamber 1. It will, therefore, beapparent that a com lete and continuous circulating system has eenprovided and that the salt` being lalternately solidified and dissolved,is continuously available to produce a refrigerating effect.

The process can be carried out Without sacrificing all the advantages ofthe invention by regulating heat applied to the system at one or morepoints so that instead of drying the salt the solution is merelyconcentrated to a point where some of the salt separated out and theresulting mixture passes around to the refrigerating Zone.

It is apparent that changes may be made in the apparatus which is shownfor illustrative purposes only, and I wish to limit the scope of myinvention only by the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure byLetters Patent 1. A method of refrigerating which comprises, dissolvinga solute in a solvent, conveying the solution so formed to a recoverychamber, applying heat to the solution to cause substantially completeseparation of the solute from the solvent, the heat being sufficient tomaintain the solute in a molten state, and returning the solute toeffect a redissolution.

2. A method of `refrigerating which comprises, dissolving a solute in asolvent, conveying the solution so formed to a recovery chamber,applying heat to the solution to cause substantially complete separationof the solute from the solvent, the heat being sufficient to maintainthe solute in a molten state, separately conveying off the solute andthe solvent, and re-unitinfv the solute and the solvent to effect are-dissolution.

3. A method/of refrigerating which comprises, dissolvin al solute in asolvent, conveyin the solution so formed to a separating c amber,heating said chamber to a degree suicient to effect the evaporation ofthe solvent and the meltin of the solute, maintaining the solute in a meted state While in the chamber, causing the melted solute to flow fromthe chamber, cooling said solute to effect solidication of the same,separately condensing the solvent and re-uniting the condensed solventand the solidified solute to effect a repetition of the method.

4f. A method of refrigerating which comprises, dissloving a solute in asolvent to produce a refrigerating effect, conveyin the solution soformed to a separating c amber, heating the solution between controlledlimits during such conveyance, further heating the solution to effectvaporization of the solvent and the melting of the solute, coolinor thesolute in a mineral oil to effect solidification, condensing thevaporized solvent and re-uniting the solute and the solvent to effect aredissolution.

5. A continuously cycling refrigerating unit including a solvent and asolute having a melting point above the boiling point of the solvent andadapted to form a refrigerating solution therewith, comprising means forcontaining the refrigerating solution, means for carrying oi the saidsolution, heating means for separating the solute and solvent andreducing the solute to a molten state, means for solidifying the moltensolute including a liquid bath, and means for returning the separatedsolute and solvent to the first mentioned means.

6. A continuousl cycling refrigerating unit including a so vent and asolute having a melting point above the boiling point of the solvent andadapted to form a refrigy erating solution therewith, comprising acontainer for the refrigerating solution, a separating chamber, meansfor delivering the solution from said container to said chamber, meansfor applying suiicient heat to said chamber to vaporize the solvent andv melt the remaining solute, means for removing the vaporized solventfrom said chamber, condensing it and returning the condensed solvent tothe container, and means for removing the molten solute from saidchamber, solidifying it by immersion in a dissolver that the weight ofthe column of liquid between the concentrator and the bottom of thedissolver is equal to the weight of the column of returning solutionbetween the dissolver and the coneentrator.

In testimony whereof I ailix my si ature. 70

GLENN FABER ZELLHOE ER.

liquid and returning the solidilied solute p I to the container..

A continuously cycling refrigerating unit including a solventand asolute having a melting point above the boiling point of the'solvent andadapted to form a refrigerating solution therewith, comprising acontainer for the refrigerating solution,

i solute from said chamber as a solid to said titi dil

container comprising a column of liquid adapted to solidify the moltensolute interposed between said chamber and saidr container, means iiordropping the molten solute trom the chamber into said liquid, and meansfor discharging the solidied solute `from said liquid into saidcontainer.

8. A refrigerating apparatus of the character described, comprising arefrigeratin device in which the cold solution is receive for theabsorption of heat, a concentrator, a crystallizer and dissolver inwhich the salt is cr stallized out of the solution and is disse ved,means to conduct the concentrated solution from the concentrator to thecrystallizer and dissolver, means to condense the vapor from theconcentrator and conduct the water of condensation to the dissolver` todissolve the salt therein, and means to return the solution from thedissolver to the concentrator, the concentrator bein in such positionwith respect to the crystal izer and

